Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT

UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com

HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

7.3 Product Rule

If y = uv where u and v are functions of x

dy dv du
Then  u  v
dx dx dx

(uv)  uv  u v
Basic Differentiation rules:
Power rule: (x n ) nx n1
Product rule: (uv)  uv  u v
u  vu uv 

Quotient rule:   
v  v2
dy dy du
Chain rule:  f (g(x))  f (g(x))  g (x) or in other words  
dx du dx


Example 
1

 
Use the product rule to differentiate r  1  s 2 s 4  2 
Solution 1: u  1 s 2 , v  s 4  2
u '  2s, v'  4s 3
In this case dy
 u ' v  uv'
dx
dr
hence  u ' v  uv'
ds

Using
dr
ds
 
 2s  s 4  2  1  s 2 4s 3  
 2s 5  4s  4s 3  4s 5  6s 5  4s 3  4s
Solution 2:
 
r  1  s2 s4  2 
  s 6  s 4  2s 2  2
dr
giving  6s5  4s3  4s
ds
 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Example 2
y  (2x 3 1)(x 2  3)
y  (2x 3 1)(x 2  3)  (2x 3 1)(x 2  3)
 6x 2 (x 2  3)  (2x 3 1)2x
 6x 4  18x 2  4 x 4  2x
 10x 4  18x 2  2x

Example 3

Find the derivative of each of the following functions with respect to x.
(a) y  x 3 ( x  3)
(b) y  x3 x
Solution:
(a) y can be considered as the product of two functions u = x3 and v = x – 3.
du dv
Now,  3x 2 and  1.
dx dx
By the product rule for differentiation:
dy d
 (u  v)
dx dx
dv du
u v
dx dx
 x (1)  ( x  3)(3x 2 )
3

 4 x3  9 x 2
(b) Put u  x and v  3 x ,
2
du dv 1  3
then  1 and  x .
dx dx 3
 y  x3 x  u v
dy dv du
u v
dx dx dx
1  
2

 x x 3   3 x (1)
3 
 
1 1
1
 x  x3
3

3
1
4
 x 3

3
 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Example 4

Find
d
x  sin x 1  cos x 
dx
Solution:
Putting u  x  sin x, v  1  cos x

then u '  1  cos  , v'   sin x

From the formula

d
uv   u ' v  uv'
dx

d
x  sin x 1  cos x   1  cos x 1  cos x   x  sin x  sin x 
dx
 1  cos 2 x  x sin x  sin 2 x
 2 sin 2 x  x sin x using 1 - cos 2 x  sin 2 x 
Note if you multiply the brackets out and then differentiate you get

d
x  sin x 1  cos x   d x  x cos x  sin x  sin x cos x  which involves using the product formula twice,
dx dx
on x cos x and sin x cos x .
 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Your Turn!
QI. Find the derivative of each function defined as follows; there is no need to simplify your answers.

y  x 2 cos x

Q2
Use the product rule to differentiate the following functions:

 
1. x 3  3 x 2 4  6 x 2  2. 
x x 3  3x 2  5  3. x sin x

4. sin x cos x 5. 1  sin x 1  cos x 

dy
A1  x 2 ( sin x)  (cos x)(2 x )
dx
7 x 3  15 x 2  5
1.  30 x 4  72 x 3  12 x 2  24 x 2. 3. sin x  x cos x
A2 2 x
4. cos 2 x  sin 2 x 5. cos x1  cos x   1  sin x  sin x